Aleix Espargarò, a 34-year-old born and raised in Granollers, a few kilometers from the paddock of the Barcelona circuit, has announced his retirement from MotoGP at the end of this season.
For eight years within the Italian team, Aleix has marked the best moments in the recent history of the Noale manufacturer in MotoGP, with three grand prix wins (Argentina 2022, Silverstone and Barcelona 2023), a victory in the sprint (Barcelona 2023 ), in addition to the 3 poles and 10 podiums.
But the story doesn't end here, because Aleix will still have numerous opportunities this year to demonstrate his talent, starting with the Barcelona GP, starting this weekend.
The words of Aleix Espargarò:
“I am happy to be able to announce my retirement as a full-time rider. They have been 20 wonderful years in this paddock and I am very happy and proud of what we have done together with Aprilia. We have made history and this will never be forgotten. I had fun a lot and we have created an incredible human group. We have a very nice weekend ahead of us, at a track that I like and where I go fast, and there are still many races until Valencia to be competitive.”
The comment of Maverick Vinales, Aleix's teammate
“Aleix is a great teammate. We spent four years together and experienced unforgettable moments. Together we managed to bring Aprilia to the top, I have wonderful memories with Aleix. We still have a year ahead of us to take Aprilia even higher together.”
Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing
“Thank you Aleix, because with you we have built an incredible history. Thank you for not giving up in difficult moments and for being a great example for all of us. You won the captain's armband on the field on merit. You gave us the first podium, the first pole position, the first victory here in Barcelona and the first double with Maverick. Your spirit, with your ups and downs, with your character, reflects the energy of this team and of all of Noale in the future, but you will always remain an Aprilia rider. From today a new page opens for the rider market and Aprilia Racing will certainly not stand idly by. With our style, we will guarantee a great future for this team, which you have helped to make a true top team.”
